Obesity and Subclinical Kidney Injury: A Biomarker Based Assessment in Asian Indian Adults

Background :The prevalence of obesity is rapidly increasing, presenting a significant risk for obesity-related glomerulopathy. Thus, it is crucial to prioritize early detection of obesity related glomerulopathy. Biomarkers, such as NGAL, TIMP-2, and IGFBP-7 have shown promise in detecting subclinical kidney injury. The study aimed to explore whether obese individuals exhibit higher levels of NGAL, TIMP-2 and IGFB7 as compared to non-obese individuals. Methods :A total of 160 adults without any comorbidities, participated in this cross-sectional study. Participants were categorized into four BMI-based groups: Group A (normal weight, BMI 18.0–24.9 kg/m²), Group B (overweight, BMI 25.0–34.9 kg/m²), Group C (obese, BMI 35.0–39.9 kg/m²), and Group D (morbidly obese, BMI ≥ 40.0 kg/m²). NGAL was measured from serum samples, while TIMP2 and IGFBP7 were extracted from urine samples. All biomarkers were assessed using the ELISA method. Kruskal-Wallis test and spearman correlation were performed to evaluate the association between these biomarkers and BMI-related factors. Results :We observed a statistically significant difference in the median serum NGAL levels (p < 0.001). However, no significant differences were found in the median levels of TIMP-2 or IGFBP-7 across the BMI categories. We also found a positive association between serum NGAL and various parameters of adiposity. However, this correlation also remained insignificant for urine TIMP-2 and urine IGFBP-7. Conclusions :Serum NGAL levels are significantly elevated in individuals with higher degrees of obesity and shows positive correlation with various measures of adiposity. Our findings highlight the need of early screening for renal stress in individuals with obesity.